All healthcare reform initiatives on the table would have a special impact on clinical laboratories and pathologists because they would accelerate the current drive to link payment to the reporting of quality performance measures and to require interoperable health information technology (HIT) and e-health records to reduce medical errors and improve patient safety.
Sidebar: The California Plan: Key Coverage Features
All residents must secure a minimum level of healthcare coverage through work, in the private market, or from a state purchasing pool.
Compliance with the individual mandate will be monitored through wage withholding and the state tax code.
Health plans must cover all applicants in the individual market, regardless of age or health status, and offer rewards and incentives for healthy practices such as exercise and losing weight.
The poorest children would be covered by expanded Medi-Cal and Healthy Families (SCHIP) benefits, including an estimated 750,000 uninsured poor children. Coverage would include children of undocumented immigrants.
At least 85% of premiums must be spent on direct patient care.
Democrats in the state legislature largely support the framework of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s plan since it is similar to those they passed in December. The GOP opposes the requirement on employers to offer insurance as well as insuring illegal immigrants.
January 29, 2007 - Table of Contents
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